Stairs and Elevation Dimensions in Archicad 29: A Modeling Guide

This guide brings together the steps for creating stairs and placing elevation dimensions described in Graphisoft’s Archicad 29 help documentation. The Stair Tool can be used in both floor plan and 3D windows, while elevation dimensions can be linked to eligible model elements. The goal is to create stairs with the correct baseline and turns, then display the required elevation information in the model. The examples in the documentation describe specific stair configurations; the riser counts given are not general design recommendations.

Preparing to draw stairs

1. Open the stair settings and review the geometry and positioning options. Graphisoft notes that you can start by testing the default settings or one of your saved stair favorites. Decide at this stage whether the stair’s top elevation should be linked to the story above, whether the number of risers should be fixed, and how the turns should be configured.

2. Click the stair’s starting point in a floor plan or 3D window. The stair is drawn along a baseline, much like drawing a polyline or wall. In the Info Box, you can position the baseline on the left or right side of the stair, or in the middle. You can also choose whether the stair goes up or down and whether the railing is on the right, left, or both sides.

3. Create the baseline with clicks and double-click to finish. If the riser count is fixed, a ghost preview shows the stair’s approximate length and placement as you draw. This visual feedback lets you check the layout before completing it; it does not mean that the riser count set in the settings will change.

Using turns and the Magic Wand

A stair path consists of turns and segments. The segment type is set to Flight by default, but you can change the type of each segment as you create the stair. You can set the general turn type in the stair settings: the documentation mentions the options for an automatic landing or two types of winder steps. After the stair is complete, you can also edit the type of an individual turn or segment.

In Graphisoft’s example of a stair linked to the story above, the stair is created with 18 fixed risers and automatic landings. Two wall corners are clicked along the baseline, and the system places the selected turn type at those points. Another example shows a straight stair with no turns, not linked to the story above, and with 8 fixed risers. These values are settings used in the documentation’s examples only; they are not presented as a general rule for other projects.

You can use the Magic Wand method to create stairs along an existing edge or polygon:

1. Move to the point where the stair should start. The documentation states that the clicked point is treated as the bottom end of the stair; this does not change even if the input direction is set to down.

2. Hold down the Space bar and click the relevant edge or polygon. The baseline is created along the traced line or polygon.

3. If the stair needs to sit inside or outside the polygon, change the baseline position to left, right, or middle in the Info Box or stair settings. To create stairs around a freestanding wall, click inside the wall.

Linking elevation dimensions to the model

Elevation dimensions can be placed on slabs, single-plane or multi-plane roofs, meshes, shells, and stairs or stair sub-elements. Placing a dimension in empty space instead links it to the relevant story level, not to an element.

1. Open the elevation dimension settings. In the Dimension Type section, set the marker type, size, rotation, and pen.

2. Under Text Content, the “Single Value” option displays the elevation of the element’s visible top surface. The “Custom” option lets you select different measurement and reference levels using Autotext, and add custom text and superscripts.

3. Move the cursor over the target element and click a visible, selectable part of it. If several elements overlap, press Tab until the correct element is highlighted, then place the dimension.

4. Check whether the dimension should be hidden when its element is hidden. By default, the dimension is hidden when its associated element is hidden. If the dimension needs to remain visible, you can disable the relevant hide option. To create a static dimension that is not linked to an element, check the “Static” box in the settings.

What to consider in architectural and visualization workflows

Being able to create stairs in plan or 3D views allows you to place them in either of two model views. When working with a fixed riser count, watching the input preview and setting turn points along the baseline can help you check the geometry before completing the model. If you need to follow an existing edge or polygon, the Magic Wand uses that line as the baseline.

For elevation dimensions, it is important to check which element the dimension is linked to and how it behaves when that element is hidden. When elements overlap, using Tab to cycle through them helps identify the dimension’s target. The source documentation does not provide information about hardware requirements, licensing terms, or compatibility with other software; separately verified information about the relevant version and project environment is needed for these topics.

Common mistakes

• Treating the 8- or 18-riser examples in the documentation as standard values suitable for every project. These are example configurations only.

• Forgetting that the point clicked when creating stairs with the Magic Wand is treated as the bottom end.

• Linking an elevation dimension to the wrong element when several elements overlap. Before placing it, check the highlighted target with Tab.

• Failing to account for the dimension disappearing when its associated element is hidden. Check the hide settings if the dimension needs to remain visible.

• Assuming that an elevation dimension placed in empty space will show an element’s elevation. A dimension placed in empty space is linked to the story level.